I can’t sleep when the TV is on. I can sometimes fall asleep to music. But give me some good ‘old white noise, and I’m certain to be asleep in a few minutes.
As long as I can remember I’ve been used to sleeping with white noise. Maybe it was because I often had fans in my room growing up, or maybe it was because my parents kept one in my room to help me drown out the TV/music in the living room after bedtime (a practice my wife and I adopted when our kids were born). I’m not sure how I got started on it, but I know now that turning on the sound machine is a surefire bet if I want a guaranteed nap in our noisy, busy house.
One thing that shocked me, though, is that many people have the opposite reaction to the wonders of a sound machine. My ex-special forces brother-in-law says, half-joking, that it’s been used to torture people (Google seems to confirm that could be true). My wife doesn’t like it because she “can’t hear what’s happening in the house.” as if that’s a problem. Other people whom we have stayed with have given me a curious look when I deploy the sleep machine in their guest room, almost like I’m unwittingly harming myself and my children and should know better.
Ha! They aren’t believers, but I know better.
That’s why, when our little travel sound machine died recently after faithfully serving us for 11 years (we got the last device when my daughter was born), I was straight on Amazon to get a replacement.
It arrived today, and my nap was glorious because of it.
Non-believers are missing out.
That’s fine. More noise for me.
Comments welcome!